The AES Guide to Lithium-Ion Battery Test Chambers

Lithium isn’t the only material used in the battery industry. Nickel and lead batteries are standard because of their lower cost. Having said that, the lightweight, high-energy recharging characteristics of lithium-ion batteries make them popular for companies across industries. 

As evidenced by product failures, there are inherent dangers to working with lithium, the worst being thermal runaway that results in fire and even explosions.

The Advantage of Using Lithium Compounds

Lithium compounds are popular in batteries for these qualities: 

• Lightweight, which makes them ideal for powering portable consumer devices 
• Very reactive with a high energy density and fast charges
• Rechargeable, with higher voltages and longer life spans than other battery materials 
• Slower discharge compared to other chemicals

There are downsides, however. Lithium compounds are expensive, due to a finite supply and dangerous mining. They’re also volatile (the aforementioned risks of thermal runaway) and difficult to scale for large applications. 

But as long as consumer demand for portable electronics and electric vehicles remains high, engineers will continue to pour vast resources into developing safe, longer-lasting rechargeable batteries that overcome the hazards of the material. 

There’s no box that bounds the engineers’ research, from experimenting with chemicals and compounds in search of a replacement for cobalt (a high-cost component of lithium-ion batteries) to exploring new designs in liquid, flow, and solid-state batteries. 

Whichever direction the battery market sways, Associated Environmental Systems is working to support research and development and production with efficient ways for testing batteries of all styles and sizes.

How Lithium-Ion Batteries Work

Types of Lithium-Ion Batteries

Test chambers can be customized for temperature and humidity. Read our full test chamber buyer’s guide to understand the characteristics and systems you’ll need.

When it comes to testing batteries, you have options: You could purchase a battery testing fixture, build one, or outsource your testing. 

Let’s start with outsourcing. Some of the biggest companies in the world choose to outsource their battery testing. It could be a matter of convenience—the third-party labs are closer to where they source materials—or preference. For instance, it opens up more time for the company to focus on other aspects of their product, especially if their primary market is not battery-driven. 

However, there are legitimate downsides to outsourcing. With fairly high rates, the cost can add up quickly, and if something goes wrong, either with the battery or the test itself, you have to start from scratch. The lab will simply identify that something went awry but won’t rectify the problem. Perhaps most concerning is the risk in that liability does not transfer to the lab. If your product fails after going to market, it’s on you, not the third-party testing site. 

Another option, albeit an inadvisable one, is to build your own fixture. If you have experts on your staff that are familiar with the right tools, materials, clips, wires, and energy sources you’ll need, then you could probably create a solution to effectively and safely test batteries.

But that only really applies to limited testing. The fact is you’ll be working with unstable materials, particularly in the design and prototyping phase. Each step carries a high level of risk from the extreme case of an explosion to a more common occurrence like short-circuiting. Then there’s repeatability. Putting everything in place takes time, and different load sizes and battery types require different configurations. 

If you want a safe, efficient battery testing fixture, then you need to buy one from a reputable manufacturer. Associated Environmental Systems has developed the ATP series specifically for optimized battery testing. 

The ATPPRIME can be integrated into your test chamber together to test up to 60 amps while the ATPFLEX can be added to an existing one. Both have features that enable effective, repeatable testing, while the ATPHEAVY is designed for higher amperage rates.

The Benefits of ATPPRIME:

ATPPRIME gives you a test chamber ready-built for batteries. You can modify it for nearly every type of battery: coin, cylindrical, prismatic, pouch, and pack cells. The universal Kelvin connectors enable you to switch between types as well. ATPPRIME is also easy and safe to use with up to four sliding shelves that accommodate 48 channels in total. Manage testing data, including charge and discharge measurements, through the built-in Battery Interface Board (BIB).

Benchtop ATPPRIME chambers can be stacked to promote efficient small-batch testing. 

The Benefits of ATPFLEX:

The benefits of ATPFLEX are right in its name. The flexibility allows you to choose a solution that fits your needs. You can select a fixture for a set quantity, cell type, and connector, or set up multiple configurations without purchasing a new chamber. 

With either the ATPPRIME or ATPFLEX, you’ll be able to test more often and secure better data than you would if you built your own fixture. 

You gain control over your battery testing in a safe, easy-to-use manner. 

The Benefits of ATPHEAVY

As demand for electric vehicle batteries with higher power-to-weight ratio increases, so does the need for battery testing technology that can match it. This is precisely where the ATPHEAVY comes in.

Engineers have focused on extending the driving range for lithium-ion batteries by improving their power-to-weight ratio. EV batteries currently offer about 370 miles per charge, which doesn’t account for climate or road conditions. 

The primary difference between ATPPRIME and ATPHEAVY is the amperage rate capabilities. ATPHEAVY is also uniquely designed to accommodate large prismatic pouch batteries—and it fits conveniently into your workspace. 

ATPHEAVY is compatible with benchtop temperature test chambers, including the Super 508, the most powerful benchtop chamber in the world.

There are a variety of standards that apply to testing batteries in environmental test chambers to ensure that all batteries meet the requirements for safety, reliability, and performance. By exposing batteries to varied environmental conditions within a test chamber, manufacturers are able to replicate normal consumer wear-and-tear in their product before they are released to the public.

These standards are often set by overseeing bodies, be they government or voluntary. Requirements include but are not limited to temperature cycling, thermal shock, humidity, and corrosion.

Phones, laptops, hoverboards, and more don’t just burst into flames for no reason. The culprits are often combinations of environmental conditions and a lack of safety accounting for the lithium-ion batteries. 

These batteries are inherently dangerous, with a high amount of energy stored in a small amount of space. Short-circuiting can lead to liquid or gas leaks, fire, or even explosions. That’s why it’s so important to test batteries and the products they power in a controlled, safe environment; you’ll have to prove they won’t fail, and the only way to do that is to identify failure points.

Test chambers have a number of features that keep your lab technicians and engineers safe from unstable batteries. The features also contain incidents to the chamber’s workspace to avoid damage to the chamber as a whole, workers, and your lab.

Keep in mind that testing requirements and standards differ by industry. The nature of your testing will determine the safety features you ultimately need, from reinforced doors to gas purges and more. Here’s a helpful chart:

Associated Environmental Systems has customized test chambers for companies in many different industries. We're ready to answer your questions. Please call us at 978-486-5079 or send us a message below.